Ancient Greek Inscriptions

Letters in ligature:
4 γμ, ου;
5 νε;
7 ου;
8 ησ;
9 ου, ων;
10 ως.
Apparatus:
The text of the inscription follows the edition of Mihailov and is rendered with changes after a comparison through personal observation by N. Sharankov.
1Kazarow restores Ἀντωνεῖνον as in the inscription with identical text IGBulg 1557; Mihailov suggests either Σευῆρον or Ἀντωνεῖνον; Boteva proposes Γέταν.
6IGBulg reads Αὐρη(λίου) with ligature ρη, but there are no traces of an eta; cf. the abbreviation ΑΥΡ (without eta) in the well preserved identical inscription IGBulg 1557.

It has been suggested that the inscription could have honoured Caracalla, Septimius Severus or Geta (one could add the name of Iulia Domna as well). The preserved text is identical with that on another statue base from Augusta Traiana honouring Caracalla, erected under the charge of the first archon Aur. Demetrius and engraved by the same stone-cutter (IGBulg 1557). Demetrius is attested as first archon in one more inscription, a statue base for Iulia Domna, erected by the city (IGBulg 1558). Mihailov supposes these statues could have been erected on the occasion of an imperial visit in Thrace in AD 196, 202 or 214. However, the use of the nomen Aurelius rather indicates a date after Caracalla's edict of AD 212.

The patronymic of the first archon, Apphus, is typical for Asia Minor.

Mihailov, Georgius. Inscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae. Vol. III.2, 1964.